A Second Chance
by Panny
Summary: After regenerating, the Doctor goes to see Rose Tyler and slips up, falling into the role of Jimmy Stone.
1. Meeting Rose Tyler

**A Second Chance: Meeting Rose Tyler**

Burning. Burning, burning, always so much burning. Why couldn't regeneration ever be easy? His eleventh body... the Doctor scoffed from his position on the TARDIS floor and stood, wobbling a bit as he did so. Good thing Donna had left him already, otherwise seeing him like this would have seen her packing for sure. A pounding in his head shook him from his thoughts. He'd have to make it back to his room before the regeneration sickness overtook him. It always did.

He'd heard of other Time Lords who regenerated as easily as they changed their shoes. Romana - now there was a Time Lady who knew how to regenerate. She could even choose what she'd look like for the next go around, which was far more than he could say. He'd been lucky with his latest body, so chances were he'd end up a decrepit old man this time.

He stopped as he past by the bathroom and glanced in the mirror, surprised by the young face looking back at him. Even longer hair this time around, and hazel eyes that were greener than brown. Still not ginger. His skin looked fresh and his body slim, though not so much as his tenth body. He could have passed for twenty easily. He took note of how he seemed to be getting younger with each regeneration and wondered if his final body would end up being a toddler. Then, everything went black.

When the Doctor woke, the first thing that came to mind was Rose. He'd been waiting so long, and perhaps had been a bit reckless in the process. Waiting until it was safe to see her. He couldn't touch her. Couldn't talk to her or interact with her at all, but he could see her without any chance of messing up the timelines, just like Jack had done. He wouldn't seem vaguely familiar to her when he regenerated, and if he got his timing off and saw her after she'd already met him, there was no way she'd recognize him.

Any other time he'd have spent hours in the wardrobe room, trying to find what felt right. The clothes that fit the new man. This time he couldn't be bothered and grabbed the least conspicuous clothing he could find for the 21st Century. Jeans, a t-shirt and jacket and a pair of trainers. He didn't even bother looking at his hair.

The TARDIS was practically yelling at him out loud for what he was about to do, but he ignored her and the sparks that jumped out as he headed out the door. The sun was shining, he was feeling better and he was about to see Rose Tyler. Nothing could possibly ruin his mood.

Except for running smack into said Rose Tyler almost instantly.

And not a figurative run in like passing her by. He ran head on directly into her, nearly knocking her to the ground. He reached out to grab her instinctively and pulled her back up to standing, her hand in his.

Rose let out a breath and laughed lightly. "Whew. Nearly got me there. You practicing for a -rugby match or something?"

He gave her a small laugh and tried to step back from her, but his feet wouldn't move. "Just, wasn't watching where I was going."

"Mmm. I can see that. So, what's your name?"

A million names ran through his head at once. Somehow John Smith sounded far too lame to catch her interest. And really, he shouldn't be trying to catch her interest. In fact he should have run in the opposite direction as soon as he'd realized who she was, but still... He just wanted a few more minutes with her, so he had to come up with a name. What else had he used? James McCrimmon. James was a bit stodgy though. "Jimmy," he muttered, the name sounding familiar. He thought through the rolodex of people he'd met, heard of or seen. Jimmy Hendrix. Jimmy Breslin. Jimmy Carter. "Jimmy Stone."

"Jimmy Stone, huh?"

He blinked, not realizing he'd said that last one out loud. Jimmy Stone; Rose's ex-boyfriend.

"Sounds like a rock star."

He swallowed hard, trying not to stammer. "Yeah, that's me."

"So you're a musician?"

"Yes... Of sorts." This was not good. So far from not good, in fact, that he was willing to classify it as disastrous. Cataclysmal even. It had been a risk to even try seeing her, but getting involved in her timeline was quite possibly the worst thing he could do. He tried to focus on the timeline and see what damage he'd done. Was there a real Jimmy Stone wandering the streets of London somewhere? Or had it always been him? Memories of late night conversations and revelations came to mind and he couldn't make sense of it all with Rose standing right there staring at him. Leaning so close that he could smell her soap and shampoo and the fresh coat of nail polish she must have put on that morning.

"Are you alright?"

He looked up, blinking rapidly. "Fine, yeah. Just sort of... at a loss for words."

She lowered her head with a bashfulness that was anything but genuine. "Why's that?"

"Oh, just..." He swallowed hard, not knowing what he could possibly tell her. Unable to come up with anything he decided to change the subject. "Sorry, have you got the time.

Rose looked down at her watch and swore under her breath. "8:40. Right, well I better get going. If I'm late to school again they just might ask me to stop coming." She gestured to the books in her arms.

He laughed slightly. "Wouldn't know what they're missing." He paused, knowing he was about to do something incredibly stupid but unable to stop it. "You could... not go."

She smiled, glancing at him with a twinkle in her eye. "Hmm, tempting as that sounds, don't know what I'd do otherwise."

"You could come with me." He couldn't help it. She was right there in front of him and all he wanted to do was reach out and hold her. To take her with him and keep her forever.

"Is that right?" She nodded playfully while poking her tongue out between her teeth. It'd been so long since he last saw her do that. Even before Canary Warf, she'd stopped doing it as often as she used to. That innocent and playful flirting. "And where exactly would we go?"

"Oh, we could go anywhere. Right on up to the moon. Picnic on Mars." He quieted when she began to giggle. "Or, we could just go for chips?"

She smiled coyly and seemed to deliberate. "Hmm, not much for chips actually."

"Really?" He couldn't hide the look of incredulity of his face.

"Suppose I could make an exception." She hooked an arm through his and started to guide him down the street.

"My Mum says this place has the best chips," she told him as they rounded a corner. "I've never really liked them though."

"Really? Never?" He was starting to wonder if he'd stumbled into another universe somehow.

"Nope. They're way too plain."

"Oh, you've just never had them made the right way."

They entered the shop and sat down at a tattered booth. A waitress came over almost immediately since no one else was looking for chips that early in the morning.

"Can't believe I'm missing school already." Rose commented while they waited.

"Already?"

"Yeah, well, I was sort of suspended a little while back."

The Doctor laughed lightly. "What for?"

"I convinced the school choir to strike. Not my fault really. They kept changing schedules and canceling thing without telling us, and then punishing us when we didn't show up.

"I never knew that."

Rose frowned. "What do you mean 'never knew'?"

The Doctor mentally smacked himself and fought the urge to panic. "I mean, I never knew you could do that. For a choir to strike, I mean."

"Oh, well yeah. Technically I guess you can't, which is why I ended up getting kicked for a few days."

"Oh, your Mum must have loved that."

"She was proud of me actually... once she stopped yelling."

The waitress brought over two platters of chips and the Doctor immediately reached for the salt and vinegar, seasoning them exactly as Rose had forcibly taught him that first time they had chips together.

"Oi! I'd like there to be more potato than vinegar on there," Rose admonished, obviously displeased with his apprehending of her food.

"Trust me." He sprinkled on the salt, adding a bit more to the crispier chips, then pushed hers over. She stared down at it apprehensively. "Really, just try it."

She picked one up and slowly brought it to her mouth, placing it inside with an agonizing amount of caution. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took her time chewing and swallowing. By the time her eyes opened back up she was smiling.

"That was good."

"Told you so."

She reached for another and popped it in her mouth without her previous trepidation.

"Careful now," he warned, taking a chip for himself. "Eat too many of those and you'll regret it."

She froze, fried potato hanging halfway in her mouth. "I'm gonna get fat, aren't I?"

"Nah! Just gotta stay active. That's the key to everything. Plenty of running and adrenaline pumping and you can eat a bag of these every day."

"You know, that's true. I used to be so slim when I was doing gymnastics. A lot shorter too... and I had no breasts whatsoever."

"Such a shame."

Rose's head snapped up, her eyes wide. Realizing he'd spoken aloud, the Doctor groaned and attempted to slide under the table and into oblivion.

"I can't believe you just said that."

"Neither can I." He hung his head low, daring to peak at her from the corner of his eye. She was positively beaming at him, and once she caught his eye, she burst out laughing.

"You don't have to laugh you know."

"But... I can't help it. Just look at you! What are you twenty"

"Sure."

"Twenty years old and turning red as a tomato."

"I am _not_ that red!"

"You so are! I've never seen a guy blush like that."

"Blush?! I'm not blushing! Time L-... Time for me to go if you're just going to make fun of me."

"No, don't go." She reached to grab his wrist before he was able to stand, though he had no real intention of leaving. "Come on. It was cute."

"Cute?" He hoped his disbelief was clear in the look he was giving her.

"Yes, cute. Come here." He leant forward and it took all his physical prowess to not fall from the seat when she kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?"

She shrugged. "Just felt like it. Seemed like th-"

"Rose Marion Tyler!"

That time the Doctor did fall from his seat when the voice of Jackie Tyler shot through him, stopping one of his hearts.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Rose jumped up, ignoring the Doctor as he tried to get back up while maintaining some level of dignity.

"Mum! It's not how it looks. He's... he's..."

"A tutor." The Doctor supplied, no longer caring about timelines and how wrong this all was and instead focusing on survival.

"Oh really?" Jackie gave him a scrutinizing glare. "What kind of tutor takes their student out of school?"

"Well, technically I didn't take her out since she never went in." Her glare worsened. "Right, but, my uh, teaching methods are very unorthodox, but effective."

"He's one of the best. Specializes in GCSE exams." Rose added.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "How thick do you think I am? You wouldn't go to a tutor if I forced you to, let alone pay for one yourself. And you, "she pointed at the Doctor, "have no idea who you're trying to fool. How old are you anyway? She's only a kid. What are you, some kind of pervert?"

"Mum!"

"No, Rose. You have no idea what a bloke like this is like. Only looking for sex. Shame on you, tricking a young girl like her to come with you."

The Doctor stood stock still, pondering his best move, and then he started laughing. He couldn't help it. The entire conversation was so familiar, he couldn't get over it. If only Jackie had known when she first met him... a few years from now.

"He's an absolute nutter." She took Rose's hand and pulled her towards the exit. "Come on."

"See you around." The Doctor waved, not knowing if it was true but enjoying the relief of having survived the wrath of Jackie.

None of this had gone how he'd planned and it seemed he was doomed to foul things up from the get go. Couldn't even look at her for a minute before he'd bumbled into her and let her lead him astray. This was her fault entirely. He couldn't be blamed for falling for her again and being unable to walk away.

But that still left the question of how to proceed. He was almost certain now that there never was another Jimmy Stone to begin with, and he was just filling the part that had been left for him, which meant he'd definitely be seeing more of Rose. A lot more. It was quite possibly the most dangerous thing he could do, and a greater gift that he'd ever have asked for or expected, but for some reason fate seemed to be giving him a second chance.


	2. Hello Again

**A Second Chance**

**Part Two: Hello Again**

After Jackie had stormed off with Rose, the Doctor returned to the TARDIS, not surprised to find her in need of numerous repairs. He didn't need his ship to tell him that his actions were both selfish and destructive, but what was done was done and he couldn't just walk away from it all now. Not with Rose so close.

He removed his jacket and walked towards the console, running his hand across it. "I'm sorry Girl. I know I shouldn't have, but... You understand, don't you? You missed her too."

The tension in the air seemed to soften and he knelt down, leaning under the console. "But, you did a number on yourself, didn't you? Take me all night to sort it."

He shifted onto his back and scooted under until he could see everything. Pulling two wires together he sighed. "I get the point you know. So don't go doing this again. I've got enough to worry about as it is."

Hours passed as he worked, occasionally speaking to the TARDIS without expecting much of an answer. Truth was, he was still trying to sort everything out. He'd never been good with having advanced knowledge of his actions. Too many expectations to get it right exactly as it's "supposed" to happen. He was much more of an in the moment man, which he supposed was what put him in the situation in the first place.

After finishing with the TARDIS he showered and walked down to the wardrobe room. By his estimation it was about 8 o'clock, and Rose would most likely be on her way to school soon.

He spent a bit more time in the wardrobe this time, but found that the casualness of a pair of jeans seemed to fit him this time around. He pulled on a long sleeved shirt and half considered throwing a tie on over it. He'd gotten so used to having one around his neck that he almost felt naked without it. Instead he settled on a simple chain. Something suitably "rockerish." He barely walked ten feet before it snagged his hair and he tugged if off on his way out.

Outside the sun was shining again and he laughed at his luck. Two days of sunshine in a row on the island of Great Britain. It had to be some sort of miracle.

As was his timing. Rose was walking down the street towards him and hadn't seen him yet. He quickly took a few steps to the right and sat on a nearby bench to wait. She was nearly past him when he spoke.

"Either I'm incredibly lucky to run into you again, or you're stalking me."

She jumped slightly and turned, smiling once she saw him. "Or maybe you're stalking me."

"Hadn't thought of that." Really he had, and he sort of was. "Is it possible to stalk someone without knowing you're doing it?"

Rose cocked her head. "That depends. Are you?"

He pretended to deliberate. "No. I'm quite sure that I was just sitting here and it's i you /i who came walking over."

"But you're the one who said something."

"Got me there. So where does that leave us."

She sighed and sat next to him. "I think that leaves us sitting on a bench, rambling back and forth for no apparent reason."

"That is does. Any better ideas?"

"How about chips?"

He laughed. "That's funny. I thought you didn't like chips?"

"Yeah," she broke into a grin, "but those ones you made yesterday were really good."

The Doctor stood and stretched slightly. "Okay, chips it is then. And let's choose a place your mother doesn't know about, eh?"

Rose laughed as she stood to join him. "Only the second date and you're already hiding from my Mum. Think that's a record."

The Doctor swallowed hard. "Is it a date then?"

"Well yeah." She looked down nervously. "If you want it to be."

"Yeah, of course." He gave her a hopeful look and took her arm, leading them down away from the crowded streets to an area where they were less likely to be seen. "Great shop this way," he told her, trying to slow his hearts. "Give you the chips wrapped in newspaper. Not enough places do that these days. They're always in some specially designed paper or even worse, some plastic cup or styrofoam container. Terrible for the environment and even worse for the chips."

"How's that?" She leaned against him while they walked and he found his hand was constantly drifting towards the small of her back before he forced it away.

"Oh all sorts of reasons. Paper in general absorbs a bit of the grease, and newsprint insulates better than the plain paper they use. And they just taste better in newspaper. Don't ask me why, because then I'd be obligated to give you all the different theories. Rubbed off ink; sweetness to the paper; a whole host of psychological reasons. Ah, here we are." He held the door for her and was pleased to see her reaction when they walked in. The shop was tucked out of the way of the main streets and was far better maintained than those that rushed food out in an assembly line for the masses. The furniture and decor was solid wood with cloth covered cushion that had nary a tear or loose thread. Stark contrast to the broken down booths and plastic chairs of the place they'd gone the day before.

"It's a bit posh." She commented, looking around nervously. He caught her glancing down at her clothes.

"Don't worry, its fine. Nice folks that run the place. Used to be good friends with the owners father."

"What, when you were five?"

The Doctor fought back a sigh. He'd have to get used to her not knowing he was over nine-hundred years old. "Something like that. Sure they wouldn't recognize me."

"Right."

Rose let him season her chips without protest this time and plowed right through them, going so far as to take from his when she'd finished her own. He managed to convince her not to get another order to go, promising to buy her chips whenever she'd like. He was beyond pleased when she agreed and made it perfectly clear that she wanted to see him again.

"So," she asked as they walked though the park to 'work off the chips,' "how much trouble do you think I'm in?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, skipping school twice in a row. It's becoming a habit."

The Doctor's head dropped. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think about that. You should be in school."

"It's alright."

"No. It's not. That's important."

Rose shrugged. "I'm having much more fun here though."

"Is that right?" He dared a glance at her.

"Yeah." She leant towards him and stepped up on her toes to press her lips against his. He sighed, and felt his body go rigid and then sag as he succumbed to the feel of her. Never. He'd never hoped or dreamed (okay, he had) of being able to touch her like this. To feel her lips and tongue and taste her. He regretted never doing it back when his taste buds had been more sensitive. As it was his mouth was exploding with the essence of her. Young and fresh like a summer rain with a subtle hint of sweetness. She smiled and his teeth knocked against hers, causing them both to laugh.

"Sorry," he apologized, still reeling from the feel of her being so close. "I'm a bit rubbish."

"You're not half bad. Could use some practice." She winked at him before turning away and he nearly passed out. She was going to be the death of him. He was sure of it.

He walked her to within a block of the Powell Estates and she stopped, turning to face him.

"I'm alright from here. My house is just down the street. Don't want Mum to see you."

"Right, yes, definitely. I don't think she likes me... Did you say house?"

"Um, yeah."

He looked ahead and glanced upward. "But those are council flats."

From the corner of his eye he could see her swallow. "Yeah. It's just past them," she lied. It was almost painful to know she was hiding things from him, but from her stance she hardly knew him. And at her age, living on a council estate was hardly something to brag about to peers.

"Okay, if that's what you want. I'll see you again?"

"Definitely." She gave him a saucy smile and tilted her head to wink before walking away.


	3. Complications

**A Second Chance**

**Chapter Three: Complications**

Four entire days passed before the Doctor saw Rose again. Four days spent on Earth at least. He'd gotten antsy on the third and hopped off for a quick trip to Corriga in the 49th century. It was a routine trip - get the date wrong, start a revolution, save a handful of urchins, all in time for tea. What was interesting about the trip, however, was the signal the TARDIS picked up on when he'd gotten back to Earth. The ship couldn't pinpoint the exact location or clearly identify it, but it was alien and it didn't belong.

He was out, working to trace the signal down when he finally saw Rose again, eating chips no less, with Mickey Smith. The right thing to do would have been to walk away and continue searching. The best thing for her was to leave her be. Instead he rationalized that the signal didn't seem to be doing anything anytime soon and he walked straight up to them, the jealousy he'd always held for Rose's first boyfriend bubbling up inside though he knew he had no right to it.

"Hello."

Rose froze, chip halfway in her mouth. It was a look he was getting used to seeing on her. "Oh, hi."

Mickey frowned. "Rose? Who's this?"

"Oh, right. You haven't met." She placed a hand on Mickey's arm lightly. "Mickey, this is Jimmy Stone. Jimmy, this is Mickey Smith, my _boyfriend_."

Mickey nodded gruffly and the Doctor did the same. He wasn't sure about the tone Rose had used when she'd given her introduction. Was she warning him off and letting him know she was actually taken? Or was she just asking him not to say anything? Either way he wasn't about to just walk away. He had spent so long caring for others and was finding he was rather selfish this time around.

"How's school?" He asked.

"Fine."

"Hope I didn't get you into too much trouble, making you miss those two days."

The widening of Rose's eyes and the twitch of Mickey's brow were unmistakable. The Doctor should have felt guilty for goading him like that, but somehow he couldn't muster the feeling, too blindsided by the very real presence of Rose so close by.

"He was with you?" Mickey asked.

"Uh, yeah. He ran into me on the street. Gave himself a nasty cut so I offered to help him out. By the time he was all patched up it was too late to get to school in time so I didn't bother."

The Doctor was starting to find that Rose Tyler did a lot of lying when she was younger.

"Was that before or after he took you out for chips and your Mum dragged you home shouting for the whole estate to hear?"

Rose licked her lips nervously and cast a quick glance at the Doctor, most likely wondering if he'd caught that key word 'estate' in Mickey's claim. "Before. He took me to eat to thank me."

"And what about yesterday? Didn't tell me you missed again."

"Yeah, well. Didn't want to worry you." She shifted from one foot to another, and shot look at the Doctor who quickly averted her gaze. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Mickey. He'd always seemed rather meek and barely argumentative, even when insulted directly.

"Right. Whatever. You know, I don't care any more. This is Robert Patrick all over again."

He began to walk off, Rose following behind. "Come on Mickey! You know I only went with him to help out Shireen!"

"Yeah! And that's why Keisha saw you giving him a nice long kiss goodbye too, right? Forget it. I'm going home. Don't bother coming by!"

Rose stood shaking for a moment before shouting after him. "Fuck off!"

The Doctor stood stock still. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard Rose curse, and he was certain he'd never seen her do it so viciously. It amazed just how different she was when he met her. So much more mature and responsible. What a difference a few years could make in the life of a teenager.

Said teenager (and he really did have to remind himself of that) was standing about ten feet ahead of him, trying to hide the fact that she was wiping her eyes. He couldn't hug her or comfort her like he normally would, so he had to settle for standing next to her and merely talking. "I'm sorry about that."

"Sorry for what?" She asked, sniffing slightly. "It's not your fault."

"Yeah it is. I shouldn't have said anything. I saw you with him and I reacted when I had no right to."

She sniffed again. "It's okay. We're no good for each other anyway."

"Could have fooled me. You two seemed perfectly happy before I came along." He wasn't just talking about this instance.

"No. We fight all the time." She cracked a weak smile. "He's better off."

The Doctor turned Rose by the arm and brought a hand to her cheek before he'd realized what he was doing. "Don't say that. Don't you ever say that. No one is ever better off without you, okay?"

She stared up at him, tears shining in her eyes, and nodded slowly. Her lower lip was trembling slightly and he dipped down to pull it into his mouth, kissing her like he'd been too shocked to the last time. She shook slightly and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered against his shirt. He could feel the dampness of her tears through the thin cotton. "You hardly know me."

"I know you well enough."

She scoffed. "That's such a cop-out answer. You don't know anything."

He smiled as she pulled back slightly. "I know you like a lot of vinegar on your chips. I know you're incredibly spirited. I know you lied when you said you live in a house and I don't care. And I know that if I can ever help it, I never want to see you crying again."

Rose bit her lip and looked up at him. "You're crazy."

"Probably."

Her mouth was on his before he could say anymore, her tongue sliding in to play with his tantalizingly until she'd left him breathless. He'd spent over a year with her in the TARDIS, taking her across the universe and showing her wonders that her people wouldn't see for centuries, and the only time he's ever kissed her was when she was either dying or possessed. Not only was this regeneration selfish, but he was damned lucky.

"I also know you're a good kisser."

She laughed and gave him a small shove.

"Oi! What's that for?"

She smiled and gave him another push. "Start walking."

"And where are we going?"

"My flat. My boring, small, counsel flat that I live in with my Mum - who's working all day today."

"Ah, right. And why are we going there exactly?"

She ran her tongue across her teeth. "You'll see."


	4. Sympathize

**A Second Chance  
**  
**Chapter Four: Sympathize  
**  
Rose moved fast. Not sleep with you on the first date fast, but she had the Doctor pinned down on the couch of her mother's flat after knowing him for less than a week. It was oh so wrong but he couldn't bare the thought of stopping her. He did it anyway, easing her away from him while maintaining a firm but gentle grip on her shoulders.

"You don't have to do this," he told her, hoping she wouldn't react too poorly. She blinked at him and quickly pulled back, her cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment.

"Sorry. I just thought you wanted to and-"

"I do," he reassured her nervously. She managed a small smile. "But you don't have to move so fast, right?"

Rose sighed and looked like she had absolutely no idea what to do. The Doctor supposed that was the norm for kids her age. Meet, hang out, hook up, move on. He wasn't quite sure how Mickey fit into the mix, or how unusual it was for Rose to do things like this. His sweet, innocent Rose. He didn't want to see her like this. As if sensing his thoughts, she suddenly spoke up.

"I don't... do stuff like this all the time or anything." Her cheeks were flushed and she was looking away from him towards the window where the sun was coming in, casting a warm hue over her. Several strands of her hair glowing golden in the light. It was the first time since he'd found her that he'd really stopped to look.

Her hair was still (already) blonde, shorter than when he'd first met her but longer than when she cut it after his regeneration. She had it in a high ponytail with some loose pieces framing her face. Her face was the slightest bit rounder than he remembered and her body just a bit softer, still carrying that youthful weight that was in the process of settling in to other areas to fill out the curves of her body. She was tapping her foot nervously, making the navy blue skirt of her uniform slide up slightly. She glanced down at her thigh, then tugged the skirt back down.

The uniform itself gave her an entirely different look as well. He knew to most humans it would add an addition sexual attraction, a sign of youth and naiveté. For the Doctor it was just nice to see her in school, learning useful and useless facts that she'd surprised him with in their travels. All of those factors and qualities conveyed though a matching navy jacket, a white polo shirt and a striped tie.

"That stuff Mickey was saying," she began to explain, turning towards him briefly before looking away again. "He gets jealous and exaggerates stuff. I've known him ever since I was little and we just sort of fell into dating each other. It's not serious though."

"He seems to think so." He wasn't trying to be mean. Just pointing out the obvious in the hopes that she'd be honest about her situation and relationship.

She cringed. "Guess that makes me a bit of a bitch, huh? I know that whatever I do; no matter what happens, even if I go with some other guy, he'll still be there. He's my fall back guy and I'm his number one choice." She sighed, then smiled and turned to look at him. "Why am I telling you all this?"

The Doctor leant forward to brush a wisp of hair from her neck. "Maybe you just needed someone to tell." She let her head rest on his shoulder and he ran his hand absentmindedly along her spine. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks." She pulled back to look at him directly, her eyes searching his. "You're so different. Any other guy would have run when he met Mickey."

"Or hit him."

Rose laughed silently. "Or that. But not you. It's like you care about him. You actually listened and..." she trailed off, never taking her eyes from his.

"He likes you. Wants to be with you enough that he's willing to let you do what you want as long as you come back to him. Can't blame him for that."

"Yeah, but-"

"But that's not what you want."

She shook her head.

"So what _do_ you want?"

"I want..." She licked her lips and glanced down in thought. "I want everything in one. I want excitement and fun, and long talks on the sofa. Walks in the park and nights out at the club. Someone I can count on without feeling too mundane or boring."

The Doctor smiled widely. "An exciting life where you feel safe. I think that's an oxymoron."

"Who're you calling a moron?"

When he started to explain the word Rose gave him a smack to the forehead. "I know what it means."

"Sorry, sorry," he laughed as she playfully wrestled with him, her jubilance a reminder of the girl he first met in a shop basement so long ago. He caught her wrists and in her struggle they both fell to the floor with her on top of him, panting heavily. He was suddenly acutely aware of everything around him. Her warm breath against his neck, her firm thigh pressed against his, the gentle pressure of her breasts against his chest. He felt himself responding physically to her proximity and quickly ran through a mental list of very unsexy; unstimulating; and non-exciting things, starting with Margaret Thatcher and ending finally with the Slitheen mating ritual.

"Hello," he said, unable to come up with anything else to say beyond 'hope you didn't feel that.'

"Hello." She was smiling at him like she didn't have a care in the world, as if it was perfectly normal for them to be lying so close. A reminder again of how things used to be when she trusted him implicitly and was content simply to be with him. Seeing her smile and relax like that was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Hello, indeed."

Rose was scrambling off of him before he had time to register the voice or look for possible exits.

"Mum, it's not how it looks."

"I'll bet it's not." Jackie glared down at the Doctor. "I thought I chased you off last week. You're like a bad penny."

"Hard to get rid of, that's me." He barely dodged the curling iron that thudded onto the carpet by his ear.

"You got about ten seconds to start running," she warned.

"Mum." Rose took Jackie's arm and pulled her aside. "Would you stop, please?"

"I'm not having it Rose. You've got a good boyfriend. Don't go throwin' it away for some pretty boy a few years older than you."

"I'm not... Mum, you know how it is with me and Mickey. Even if he is a good guy, that's all he is. I don't love him."

"And you love _him_?" She gestured to the Doctor who had stood and was now warily eying the door.

"Of course not. I just met him."

"Good." She turned towards the Doctor. "Out!"

"Mum!"

"You do whatever you want out there, but if I ever catch him in my home again he'll be leavin' in a box. Now out!" She pointed at the door and the Doctor obeyed. Behind him he heard Jackie stop Rose from following.

"Don't you dare. We need to talk."

"No we don't."

Rose came stumbling out behind him, a dour look on her face, before the door slammed closed. "She's such a pain."

"I noticed. Still your mum though." He gave her a wink.

"Okay, first you're concerned with Mickey, and now you're worried about Mum. You really are mental."

"Life's more fun that way." He flashed a quick grin before running down the steps two at a time, Rose following behind him.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she caught up with him.

"No idea. Where do you usually go when you run away from home?"

She gave him a playful slap. "I didn't run away from home. She'll calm down in an hour or so."

"Right. In that case Miss. Slap Me Every Chance You Get, where do you go to kill a few hours?"

She shrugged. "Melou?"

"Okay." He held out his hand and was relieved when she took it immediately. It felt exactly as he remembered and for a moment he forgot the reality of the situation. "Melou it is."

Melou was a pub, complete with too many tellys showing a variety of sport matches, barmaids with too much cleavage, and a few drunks who'd obviously gotten started at an early hour. The Doctor seemed to recall it starting as more of an upscale locale that, like most things, had degenerated over time.

He looked around for an empty table and sat, Rose taking the seat opposite him. "Didn't take you for the drinking type." He wondered if it was something she grew out of, or if he'd simply never given her the opportunity while they were traveling. Either way she'd never asked.

"Why not? I'm only sixteen, but I can usually get away with it." She looked down and frowned. "Then again the uniform might give me away."

"Yes, right." There was that teenager logic again. If you can do it, why not?

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Rose spoke again, this time looking down sheepishly at the tabletop. "I'm sorry about my Mum. She gets a little crazy sometimes."

The Doctor nodded, biting his tongue when he nearly commented on her slapping him when they first met. Instead he looked past her out the window for a moment before answering. "I suppose it's better than a mother who doesn't care enough to get upset."

Rose snorted. "Yeah. Try living with her for sixteen years and see if you still feel the same."

He smiled and let out a small laugh, prompting a similar response from her before she continued.

"She complains all the time about the stupidest things, and it's not like she's perfect. You know, our power was turned off three times in the past four months. It's ridiculous." She licked her lower lip before dragging her teeth across it nervously. "It's not that we can't afford to pay the bill, she just doesn't bother. 'I forgot, Love' or 'Rodrigo was going to take care of it.' Sometimes I think I'd be better off on my own."

The Doctor frowned, trying to hide his bewilderment. Jackie was a tough mum, no doubt about it, but he'd never seen any animosity between she and Rose before now. "Do you really think that?"

Rose shrugged, then laughed halfheartedly. "Kind of ridiculous I guess. Not like I'm ever gonna do it. Still in school, and I don't know what I'd do for a job."

As silence settled over them, the Doctor realized that they'd sat without actually getting anything to drink. Against his better judgement, he offered to buy something for Rose, although the girl at the bar hardly looked any older than her and probably wouldn't have given Rose any hassle. She gave him a quick thanks, obviously used to having people (or most likely Mickey) handle the whole age limit issue. Trotting back to the bar he ordered a Guinness for her while he passed on any alcohol, choosing instead to get them some food. The last thing he wanted was to be bringing home a completely intoxicated Rose Tyler, because she'd drunk on an empty stomach.

when he returned to the table Rose took her glass and drank in silence for a while before he nudged the plate of sausage and chips towards her and she smiled. "I feel like you're always feeding me."

"Oh, you make it sound like you're my pet cat or something. 'Treating you to meals' sounds much better."

Rose laughed, taking a bite. "Okay, fine. This'll be my treat though."

He was about to protest, but truthfully he didn't have much money from this century on hand, or in the TARDIS, and he wanted to avoid 'abusing' cash machines as much as possible. "Fine," he said resignedly. "If you really, really, absolutely insist."

"I do." She took a sip of her drink and sighed. "I really don't wanna go home."

The Doctor's response was cut off by a loud buzzing in his pocket. He reached in a realized it was the sonic screwdriver, which he'd never switched off. The entire time he'd been running around with Rose, it'd been searching the alien signal he'd picked up on, and it had finally found something.

"What was that?" Rose asked, quirking a brow.

"Mobile phone," he answered quickly. "It's, uh, rather important. I better go outside to take it. In fact, I know I'm going to have to leave once I'm done so I'd better just go. Uh, here." He tossed a tenner onto the tabletop, despite having agreed to let her pay. When she began to protest and he stood and held a hand up to stop her. "Next time. Sorry, really gotta go."

He left without giving her a chance to respond, feeling equally guilty for leaving her and for having abandoned tracing the signal in the first place.

Outside he pulled the sonic screwdriver from his pocket, and followed the signal towards its source, the buzzing growing increasingly stronger as he ran.

He'd run for a good twenty minutes, and eventually found himself in Trafalgar Square when the signal abruptly cut out. He smacked the sonic screwdriver against his palm a few times, trying to get it to work again before resigning himself to the fact that he really had lost the signal.

He traipsed back to the TARDIS, mentally berating himself for getting distracted so easily. Coming back to see Rose had been a bad idea to begin with and he'd managed to dig himself into a deep hole with no hope of getting out of it. But being tangled up in forming a very domestic relationship with her was no excuse for disregarding what could potentially be an alien threat.

Inside the TARDIS he input what information he'd been able to gather while the sonic screwdriver was locked onto the signal. Hopefully that information would be enough for her to find the source, or at least identify what it was or the kind of technology being employed. Unfortunately it looked like it would take days, if not weeks, for her to process all of the information and filter out the noise of the transmissions sent out from the planet, and he couldn't leave until she was done.

He only felt slightly guilty when his first thought once he'd realized he was essentially stuck, was that it was a perfect excuse to still see Rose.


	5. Can't Let You Go

**A Second Chance **

**Chapter Five: Can't Let You Go**

While the TARDIS continued to search for the source and intention of the signal the Doctor had picked up on, he allowed himself the pleasure of, and opportunity for, spending much of his time waiting with Rose.

He would meet her after school, or occasionally (when he felt like he needed more than an hour or two with her) beforehand. She'd skipped her classes more than a few times, despite his (rather weak) protestations. In her opinion, with her GCSE's nearly done, going to school served little purpose. Having been a less than exemplary student in his university days, the Doctor hardly saw it fit to argue with her.

She insisted on going for chips nearly every day he saw her, affectionately calling it "their thing." The Doctor was more than happy to go along with it, enjoying the familiarity of sharing the rather unhealthy meal. Remembering Rose saying "That was our first date," as they relaxed on New Earth took on a whole new meaning and he alternated between feeling elated or melancholy at the thought.

Jackie still hadn't warmed up to him in any way - which was no surprise. Rose attempted to bring him home once more about two weeks after he'd been chased out and he couldn't even get through the front door. In that particular instance, said door was slammed in his face, with Rose stuck on the other side with her screaming mother.

Interestingly enough, Rose hadn't been deterred, and instead took to bringing him home when she knew her mother wouldn't be there. In was on the couch by the TV that he learned everything she enjoyed as he kissed her. Against the kitchen counter he enjoyed the feel of her waist and hips pressed up against his while she played with his neck and ears with her teeth. In her bedroom he felt what it was like to have her on top of him, his arms wrapped around her and moving across the warm flesh of her back when he slid them underneath her jumper.

It never went any further than that - he made sure of it. He was certain she wasn't a virgin based on conversations they'd had when she traveled with him. Despite that it didn't seem right, like he was taking time and experiences he wasn't supposed to have and taking that last step would be one too far.

Besides, he'd gone decades without any kind of sexual intimacy and hadn't given it a single thought. There was no need to push for that when he could use what little time he had holding Rose's hand and listening to her speak.

It only took the TARDIS four weeks to identify the signal's source, but the Doctor was at a festival sharing a flavored ice with Rose at the time. And when he got back he was too distracted by the giant stuffed panda he was carrying to bother checking for any updates. The next day he rushed out early to catch the train to Brighton and the next he and Rose were having lunch in Hyde Park. All told, a full week passed before the Doctor finally realized that his ship had finished her job and was waiting rather impatiently for him to notice. She could have alerted him a bit more forcefully but as it turned out it was a fairly benign signal and even the TARDIS's level of sentience could appreciate the lighter mood and atmosphere of the ship since the Doctor had, essentially, gotten Rose back.

And it helped that the Doctor had apologized profusely when he realized he'd missed it.

The signal, as it turned out, was a message being transmitted from the Earth and out across the solar system as part of a networked message. It translated to an open invitation to the family reunion of the Darzengoth family of Pika being held in a neighboring galaxy. The transmission was due to expire in a few days, so there really was nothing to be done about it.

With that pressing issue (so pressing that he'd ignored it for over a month) resolved, the Doctor was free to move on and, despite his reservations, he did.

He went to see the Lotus Festival on Pricia and met a lovely couple who'd met in school. He wondered how Rose had done on her GCSE's.

He traveled to Rokahn and mistakenly landed in the middle of a civil war. In the back of his mind he could hear Rose admonishing him for getting the date wrong yet again.

He met a family of talking pandas in Onel, and thought of the stuffed panda he'd crammed into a storage room of the TARDIS.

He was mistaken for a celebrity on Jantho and swarmed by a pack of girls in school uniforms. Their striped ties matched the Jericho Street Comprehensive uniform.

He saved the royal princess of Lethloria and she thanked him with a rather forceful kiss, more practiced and holding far less feeling than any of Rose's kisses.

He saved a dozen worlds

He saw a million people.

He missed Rose.

He went back.

The Doctor rationalized that according to what Rose had told him, she was with Jimmy Stone for several months. It was already fated for him to go back. Not that he particularly believed in fate, but he couldn't argue with an already established timeline. At least not one that he wanted to see through. What kind of Time Lord would he be if he didn't go back to fulfill his role? So, being more careful with the date than usual, he set in the coordinates to land about a week after he'd last seen Rose. He was off by two months.

He found her by the Thames, not far from where she'd spotted the London Eye and helped him find the Nestene consciousness. Smiling at the memory, he made his way over to Rose, who was leaning against the wall, chatting happily with one of her friends, a brunette with curly hair. As soon as she saw him her face lit up and she called out his name.

"Jimmy!"

Some small part of him had expected her to yell his real name and it hurt just a tiny bit to hear that instead. It was like that one word created a gap between them that he knew he could never cross. No matter how much time he had with her, he'd never hear her say his name again. The magic of the Carrionites came to mind and he could see how they saw such power in the naming.

He forced a smile and eagerly returned the hug she gave him, inhaling the scent of her shampoo as he buried his face in her hair. For the rest of his lives he'd never find anything as comforting as the warm, soft feeling of having her in his arms. He released a sigh of relief, having fully expected her to tear his head off for being gone so long.

"Ahem."

They broke apart and Rose gave her friend a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Shireen, this is Jimmy."

The Doctor quickly looked over the infamous acquaintance. So many of Rose's stories had begun with "Shireen and I," but he'd never actually met her.

Shireen was looking him over at the same time before finally nodding. "He's fit, yeah." She smiled and extended her hand. "Nice to meet the guy who'd been keeping her busy i every /i day." She gave Rose an exasperated look while the Doctor shook her hand briefly.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Shut up. Just because Derek dumped you doesn't mean I have to hold your hand every day."

"Oi! I I left /I that wanker. Get it straight."

"Which explains you calling me at home all, 'Oh Rose, he left me!'" She stuck her tongue out between her teeth and Shireen gave her a playful shove.

"Get off it. Your little boy toy is gonna see what a little bitch you are."

The Doctor sputtered, unable to come up with any kind of response to being called a 'boy toy.' Both Rose and Shireen saw his expression and began to laugh.

"He's cute Rose, I'll definitely give you that."

Rose took his arm and held her head high with pride. "Ah thank you."

"Alright," Shireen picked up her bag from where she'd placed it on the ground. "I can tell when I'm not wanted. You two have fun and I'll see you later."

Rose made no effort to deny wanting some time alone and immediately picked up her own bag, handing it off to the Doctor to carry.

The Doctor smiled. "Does 'boy toy' equate to 'bag boy' now?"

"Punishment for disappearing on me." She gave him a playful shove and began walking down the street.

"I'm sorry about that," he apologized, taking hold of her hand. "So, what have I missed?"

She shrugged and gave him a catty grin. "Not much. I'm more interested in knowing where you've been." She raised her brow in a manner that clearly suggested that, while she seemed playful, he'd better have a good reason for having disappeared on her.

"Yes, right." He thought hard as quickly as he could. Where would Jimmy Stone go? Really the only solid information he'd given was that he was a musician. "Last minute gig. Had to cover for a member of another group on a tour."

"You were on tour?"

"Yep." It was a weak excuse at best, but he knew from experience that as long as he answered confidently, she'd believe him. "Only as back up, for one of the secondary acts."

She eyed his suspiciously. "Right, okay. How did it go?"

"Oh, very boring really. How about you?"

"Okay. Pretty dull, especially without you around." He smiled as she stopped to lean up and give him a kiss on his cheek, his absence apparently forgiven. "Oh, I got my GCSE's back."

The Doctor jumped and dipped his head to look at her directly in the eye. "How'd you do?"

Unlike most of the questions he asked her, he had no advance knowledge on this one and was genuinely curious to know the answer. Her schooling had been a bit of a sore subject with Rose, and as it was in his nature to avoid any awkward conversations, he'd learned very quickly not to bring it up and never found out how she had done.

She pouted her lips and shrugged. "Oh, I dunno."

"Rose…" He gave her his best 'don't tease me' look, but she just smiled coyly, prompting him to give her hand a squeeze and pull her closer until she was mere inches from him. "Tell me."

Her tongue emerged from behind her teeth and she bounced lightly on the balls of her feet for a moment before finally answering him. "Four B's, two A's and one A star," she announced proudly. He barely heard her mumble that she'd failed Chemistry and chose to ignore it.

The Doctor dropped her hand and immediately scooped her up in a crushing hug, swinging her around. She laughed and he laughed with her genuinely happy, and more than a bit surprised. He'd known she was smart, but he never knew why she didn't go for her A Levels. He'd just assumed she hadn't done well on her exams.

"Proud of me, then?" She asked as he set her down.

"Of course!"

"So proud you'll take me out for dinner… with dessert… and a film."

He laughed lightly. "A movie? But that's so boring, just sitting there for two hours when you could actually be doing something exciting!"

"Yes, well, when we can actually hunt aliens and stuff, then we can skip the movies and go for the adventure. In the meantime I want to see Men in Black."

Not being able to show her the TARDIS and take her across time and space had never been as painful as right then. He wanted more than anything to say okay, and go running off together. To show her talking pugs and honest to goodness alien agencies. Instead all he could do was agree to sit in a dark cinema, imagining what it would be like, and remembering when that life was a reality.

"Okay, dinner, desert and a movie it is. Although it's already 8:00. Sure your mother won't come and track me down for getting you home so late?"

Rose visibly flinched. "She won't care."

"Why not?"

She turned to face him, a smile plastered on her face. "Because I haven't been home in three days anyway."

Her statement, said so nonchalantly, released a torrent of emotion and questions. What had happened to drive her out? Where was she staying? With who? Friends? Mickey? Would she have left if he hadn't been gone for so long? He swallowed hard. "Why?"

She sighed and looked downward, her expression morose. "We got into another stupid argument. Mickey came 'round the flat, asking about me and," she tried to hide a nervous smile, "about you. So she started in again about Mickey and school and you and everything. I told her I knew what I was doing, unlike her, so she told me to get out and I did."

The Doctor reached forward and pulled her into a comforting hug. "I'm sorry."

"Do you always apologize for stuff that's not your fault?"

He smiled, recalling her reaction to his apology after her fight with Mickey. "Only when I think I'm part of the cause. And, I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Rose squeezed him a little tighter, then pulled away. "Not your problem. Besides, Shireen's mum understood and let me stay there. She probably told my mum I was there too." She sighed. "I'll go home soon; probably tomorrow. But, for tonight, can it just be about having fun?"

She looked so nervous and hopeful. A little girl trying to escape the stresses of home, if only for a little while. "Of course."

Whoever'd done the alien design got it all wrong. Kylothians looked nothing like that. And why in the world would one be looking for I anything /I from Zartha? The entire plot was preposterous and the Doctor wondered where human cinema had developed its obsession with aliens being filled with goo.

Still, Rose seemed to be having a good time, laughing, gasping, and in one (mortifying) instance shouting at the screen.

Hidden in the relative darkness, he gave himself the freedom to observe her without fear of being caught. Not that she'd mind if she did catch him, but he had spent so long hiding what he truly felt for her that it was a matter of habit now. He still couldn't believe she was right there next to him, smiling without worrying about what might attack next or where they were headed off to. So much life ahead of her, if she only knew…

Suddenly Rose turned to him and he realized that the film had ended while he was lost in his musings. He gave her an awkward smile and followed her as they filed out with the rest of the theatre patrons. As soon as they had exited the building he inhaled deeply, relieved to be back outside and moving again..

"So what'd you think?" Rose asked as they began walking down the street.

"It was good," he half lied. "A lot of action. Quite funny as well."

"I'm glad." She smiled softly. "So, what do you want to do now?"

It was nearly midnight already and he knew exactly what she was doing. The sooner she went back to Shireen's, the sooner she'd go to sleep, and the sooner she'd wake and have to go home.

"Rose..."

"There's a club down the street that's usually pretty busy."

He shook his head.

"Or we could see if Jane's around,"

"Rose."

"…or maybe-"

"Rose." He stopped walking and waited for her to do the same. "You've got to go home at some point."

"But not tonight," she answered with an overly cheery grin. "You promised that tonight..." Her voice broke and she turned away from him. He hesitated behind her, not sure if she wanted comfort or to be left alone.

A long silence passed before she spoke again. "I'll just go." The finality in her voice was terrifying and the Doctor jumped forward immediately to take hold of her hand.

"Don't. We can do whatever you want. You don't have to go." He chided himself mentally. It wasn't like him to be so... clingy, for lack of a better word. and if he thought about it, it was rather embarrassing. But he'd walked away from her once and wasn't going to let her walk off angry when he'd just come back.

"Look," he said, resisting the urge to turn her to face him. "It's important for you to go back and talk to your mum, but you don't have to now. If you're not ready..." He squeezed her hand, still held in his.

"Thanks."

Her voice was a whisper and he was certain she was trying not to cry. It amazed him that she could face down aliens and handle being assaulted without a tear but the floodgates always opened when she was dealing with people.

He wrapped his arms around her then and she leant back against him. Aliens and bruises he could help with, but when it came down to things like this, all he could do was reassure her that he was there.


End file.
